Mentoring, Mothering, Discipling,

On Sunday morning, long before Mass I crept into Anna's room, raised her shades and whispered to her, "Come on Anna, get out of bed, throw someone on and come with me. We're going to have a special Anna, mama time." 

I ordered from a lovely cafe in town where they do curbside pick up. 

Then we drove to a nearby park where there was no one. 

It was the greatest. We talked and talked about everything on her heart. I asked questions that I had prayed about ahead of time. And I listened. 

After we ate, we walked around a bit in the park. 

Hundreds, maybe thousands of times Anna and I have have some one on one times. Not usually going somewhere, just a minute here and there where we steal away and she knows she has my undivided attention. 

When she was little mothering was often instructing, correcting, teaching, guiding. Now it is mentoring, discipling, inspiring... 

But this school year I feel inspired to do something different - something more - because it's my last year with her fully home, fully mine in a childhood way. 

I still have so much in my heart I want her to know before this year is over. 

So over and over again, as much as I can, we will steal away for just us time. 

And it is lovely. 

So what is this Mentoring - Discipling time?

• It is time to build our friendship 
• It is about having something to look forward to
• They are intentional times - they are carved out times
• It is knowing that there is a value to meeting one on one 
• It's striking up conversations
• It's understanding that I am a discipler 
• It is about passing on the love, the truths, the purposes of God 
• It is thinking about these things: How can I influence her? How can I love her? How can I pour out to her? How can I encourage her? How can I be a model of Christ to this precious daughter that God has brought into my life? 

Cherished times indeed